The Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was so disheartening, then to read of rowdy Philadelphians tossing beer at Vikings fans and their bus, and even Girl Scouts giving Vikings fans the finger! What is wrong with these people? My husband was from Philadelphia. He, of course, was an Eagles fan. I was from the other end of the state. Do Pittsburgh fans disrespect my city and my Steelers in the same way? I hope not, but I don’t know. It’s been 62 years since I lived there. What about other cities — Boston, Jacksonville?

Do I recall that kids’ teams might be penalized or even have to forfeit if their parents/fans were disruptive? Seems like the NFL ought to do something about this behavior. But I suppose not; there’s money involved.

And these horrid Philadelphia fans: Have they not noticed that the Super Bowl will be played here — in Vikings territory? How do they expect to be treated when they are here? Well, I hope they will be surprised — welcomed and treated graciously. Minnesota Nice to the max.

I have no love for either the Eagles or New England. I hope all of their passes are dropped, their points-after fly outside of the uprights and their punts are blocked. But no unsportsmanlike conduct either on the field or from the fans.

Judith Starkey, Wayzata

FOOTBALL AND THE UNIVERSE

Discouraged Vikings fans need to see the big picture

The dramatic collapse of our purple warriors Sunday in Philly, however painful, was unfortunately necessary — for the sake of the universe. When Stefon Diggs made his miraculous reception on the previous Sunday, it caused a cataclysmic glitch to occur and the fabric of deep space was temporarily ripped apart. Billions of light years away, worlds, possibly galaxies, collided as a result of Diggs scoring the winning touchdown to beat the Saints. Millions, perhaps billions, of life-forms perished. But the severity of Sunday’s beatdown confirms: The universe is back in order.

Bob Andersen, Minneapolis

REFOCUSING PRIORITIES

Some are up to the challenge. Others say: Don’t judge.

A response to the Jan. 23 letter writer who suggests that we should “redirect our passion” away from football and “toward things that would really make a difference, like closing the education gap or reducing homelessness”:

How do you know my passion? I am totally for the Super Bowl to shine in our great city. Does that mean I don’t care about anything else? Of course not. Let’s all just start embracing some fun in life and not dictate what everyone else should be doing.

Sue Wilson, Savage

• • •

Regarding the Jan. 23 letter writer’s challenging question “What would you add to the list?” for redirecting our Vikings passion to make a difference in our world: I would add two other global imperatives: (1) reducing atmospheric carbon emissions to ameliorate global warming and climate disruption, and (2) halting human overpopulation to minimize the looming threats of resource overshoot and societal collapse.

David Trauger, Marine on St. Croix

• • •

Sunday, Feb. 4, is a significant date on our calendar, and for good reason. In a presentation to the Minneapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, Rockport Analytics predicted $404 million in Super Bowl revenue (April 2016) for our fair city.

Is Wednesday, Feb. 7, on your calendar, too, Minneapolis? That evening I’ll learn how our school district will deal with its $33 million deficit, and I’m full of anticipation about what our students — my own kids and yours — will lose.

Already, our public schools are cutting beneficial programming such as math clubs and music ensembles, as well as integral positions such as social workers and secretaries. Classrooms are overcrowded, with as many as 40 students per teacher.

It goes without saying that a city is only as great as the opportunities it gives to its most vulnerable citizens, namely our children. Yet in the wake of Super Bowl LII, we may need a reminder: Greater Minnesota is consistently ranked as having one of the better public school systems in the nation, but Minneapolis needs to retrieve its reputation.

When Super Bowl LII comes to town, we will celebrate what makes us a “city by nature” with ice and art, food and football. Investing a percentage of Super Bowl earnings in our public schools ensures a winning future for every Minneapolis citizen.

Ray Gabriel, Minneapolis

COMMUNITY

Snowstorm offered evidence of point from earlier commentary

In a Jan. 11 commentary, the Rev. G. Travis Norvell shared his thoughts on the importance of walking, biking and transit in building the “ties that bind a community together.” On my 4-mile bike ride home during the snowstorm Monday evening, I had the pleasure of pushing out 10 different stuck cars. I’m glad to say that help was abundant and a cheerful spirit was in the air. But what I found most striking was this: Not a single pedestrian walked past without lending a hand. When you’re face-to-face with someone’s need for help, it’s much harder not to lend a hand.

Minnesota is not the land of my birth. I transplanted here from Texas almost a decade ago. My commute home on Monday, slow and plodding though it was, reminded me why I am so grateful to live in a place where people take care of one another. I believe what I witnessed is exactly the kind of trust, hope and empathy that Norvell spoke of in his article. Let us continue to build this flourishing community that I and many others are proud to call home.

Hillis Byrnes, Minneapolis

WOMEN’S MARCH

This year’s organizers failed to tap the enthusiasm

The Twin Cities was the poorer this weekend when the decision was made to hold a tickets-only gathering of 2,500 to commemorate last year’s Women’s March (“New year brings new focus for women’s march,” Jan. 22). What about those of us among the hundreds of thousands who marched last year who realized too late that only this tiny event would be held? The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the freedom marchers in the 1960s realized the energy that these marches produce, something the organizers this year seem to have forgotten. And if money was an issue (as one article stated), I expect voluntary contributions at a march would have far exceeded the ticket revenue — and produced far more in energy and support for the important issues involved.

Martha N. O’Toole, St. Paul

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Who says Democrats lost? Who says the people didn’t win?

I’m not sure why the going opinion is that the Democrats were losers and the Republicans were winners in the agreement to end the recent government shutdown. The Democrats pushed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pledge to open up the budget process and allow debate. It seems to me that the real winners are the American people. We can finally see what the hell is going on in Congress. Certainly, there will still be a lot of closed-door negotiations, but the bipartisan Senate Common Sense Coalition will finally be able to openly present its recommendations, and we can have substantive discussion on the real issues. Now there’s a novel approach to government.